Peugeot has revealed the explanation behind Jean-Eric Vergne’s transfer right into a growth position with its World Endurance Championship squad in 2026, ending his steady run as a race driver because the programme started.
Forward of this weekend’s Bahrain finale, Peugeot revealed that Vergne shall be stepping down from his race seat subsequent 12 months, with Stoffel Vandoorne rejoining the French group to take his place after a failed transfer to Genesis.
The association is about to final just one 12 months, with Vergne returning to his unique position in 2027.
Though it was initially anticipated that Vergne’s new position would contain serving to Peugeot develop a possible new hypercar, topic to approval from the FIA and the Car Membership de l’Ouest, the French producer clarified that the choice was largely pushed by the 35-year-old’s elevated commitments in Method E after Vergne joined Citroen forward of the brand new season.
Peugeot determined it could be finest for Vergne to focus on Method E, whereas nonetheless enjoying an lively position in creating the present 9X8.
“It is a part of a a lot larger image we’ve got and the dialogue we had internally between all our programmes,” Peugeot Sport technical Olivier Jansonnie advised reporters together with Motorsport.com.
“We all know that Method E goes to undergo an advanced 12 months subsequent 12 months with the Gen4 growth beginning now.
“We need to have JEV totally concerned with that, which is able to hold him very busy, a minimum of till the top of the pre-season in July 2026.
“We had a dialogue along with the administration, with him, and we agreed collectively that we want him to give attention to that and hold the event of the 9X8 as properly, as a check driver, however not racing with the group for subsequent season.”
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Paul Di Resta, Mikkel Jensen, Jean-Eric Vergne
Photograph by: FIAWEC – DPPI
Two-time Method E champion Vergne revealed that the concept to step into a unique position got here immediately from him and was mutually agreed upon with Peugeot.
“It was in coordination with Peugeot, with Citroen, with all people at Stellantis. It was truly coming from me,” he stated.
“It’s actually very demanding [to combine Formula E and WEC]. And I really feel that with the primary 12 months of Citroen, the place we’ve got plenty of work throughout the group to be on top of things very quickly, plus the event of the Gen4 automotive, plus the WEC, plus all of the testing, plus all the event for the way forward for Peugeot, plus private causes, I felt that I couldn’t do all of it subsequent 12 months.
“In order that’s why it was my determination. I want to step down for a 12 months, however a minimum of do all the opposite issues properly. After which, when issues settle, private stuff settles, I can come again in 2027 totally operational on each side.”
Vandoorne had initially departed Peugeot after September’s Fuji occasion in anticipation of his transfer to Genesis’ new LMDh programme in 2026.
Nonetheless, it’s extensively believed that the Belgian’s cope with the Hyundai-owned model fell by on the final minute, main him to return to Peugeot rather than Vergne.
The swap will happen subsequent 12 months, with Vandoorne sitting out this weekend’s Bahrain 8 Hours as Theo Pourchaire makes his WEC debut forward of a full marketing campaign with Peugeot in 2026.
“We clearly had the motive force’s seat accessible [after JEV’s move] and for Stoffel, contemplating his state of affairs in the intervening time and after Fuji, it was making full sense for us [to bring him back to the team],” defined Jansonnie.
“We would have liked to have anyone who was demonstrating his efficiency with us already.”
Newly-crowned IMSA GTP champion Mathieu Jaminet is now being thought-about for the Genesis drive beforehand earmarked for Vandoorne following the information that the Frenchman will depart Porsche after 2025.
Porsche Penske Motorsport is having to downsize its LMDh driver secure subsequent 12 months after asserting its exit from WEC’s Hypercar class. It is going to proceed with a two-car manufacturing unit programme with Group Penske in IMSA.
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